Value: Bhakti - October 2025
Second Week: Japa - Repetition of holy names
Our minds are always doing the japa - repetition of thoughts! Strong tendencies and lasting impressions are the results of repetitive thoughts about our likes and dislikes. But when the same repetition of thoughts about the qualities of the Lord when practiced correctly, will help us rise above likes and dislikes.
Repetition of the Lord's name reprograms the thought-flow
Let us explore the correlation between the mind's behavior and the characteristics of the five basic elements. In a deep sleep state, the mind is like the earth—static and unmoving. When we are awake, the mind behaves like water, continuously flowing toward the world of objects, emotions, and feelings. When we engage in lofty thoughts and ideas, it acts like fire, rising upward.
During inspired activities, the mind moves like air, transcending familiar areas of knowledge, where all creative thoughts and intuitions arise. In meditation, the mind dissolves into vastness, similar to space, where there are no physical dimensions.
Japa, or the repetition of the Lord's names, transforms the mind from being like water to fire. It shifts the gross mind into a more subtle presence and reprograms the flow of thoughts to rise upward.
Repeat-Remember-Love-Seek-Reach
Oral japa refers to the repetition of words that express the qualities of the Lord. Words stem from thoughts, and when our thoughts echo these words, it allows our minds to remember Him more frequently.
Love grows through constant remembrance, and as a result, our devotion, or bhakti, increases with the conscious practice of japa. The next step after nurturing devotion is to seek the Lord. This seeking is not about possession; rather, it is about making ourselves available to Him, serving Him, and carrying out His work in the world.
A devotee who firmly believes that the Lord is the sole focus of love will ultimately reach Him. This concept is emphasized by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita: "एक भक्तिः विशिष्यते" (One-pointed devotion excels).
